Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: at1105 on November 05, 2021, 11:42:02 pm
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Has anyone ever built a small button panel for their cab? I'm wanting to add a small panel inside the coin door area of my cab for Test/Service/Power buttons and a volume knob. Any recommendations for what type of material I should use to make this? All I could come up with while searching the ol' Google was possibly 1/8" or 1/4" black ABS or acrylic or (worst case) plywood. I'd rather use metal like original dedicated machines have but I figured that would be pretty difficult to punch holes in. Any suggestions?
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If you have a real coin door from an old cab then I'd imagine you could use the dip switch buttons on the doors pcb if it has one.
Otherwise I'd think any cheap button would do fine on a small wooden or plastic panel on the inside wired to your controller. 1/8th acrylic should work fine for a small bank but those buttons should rarely if ever be needed. Not sure why you'd want to spend the money for metal.
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I'm wanting to add a small panel inside the coin door area of my cab for Test/Service/Power buttons and a volume knob. Any recommendations for what type of material I should use to make this?
Twisted Quarter has several pre-fab brackets to choose from.
https://twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_681 (https://twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_681)
https://twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_681&products_id=3310 (https://twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_681&products_id=3310)
(https://twistedquarter.com/bmz_cache/c/cdfb8bb6387c8249486c2fb70fdde304.image.200x227.jpg)
If those don't work, there are mountable project/electrical boxes and blank plastic covers.
- A single gang enclosure should be large enough for what you described.
(https://mobileimages.lowes.com/productimages/2404806f-5504-4735-b1e3-fef8a61ea94c/43346670.jpg?size=pdhii) (https://mobileimages.lowes.com/productimages/b079118a-85bc-47e3-b4fb-bbb9b3dbc297/05374740.jpg?size=pdhi)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CANTEX-12-CU-IN-SINGLE-GANG-HANDY-BOX/5001905113 (https://www.lowes.com/pd/CANTEX-12-CU-IN-SINGLE-GANG-HANDY-BOX/5001905113)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Legrand-Trademaster-1-Gang-Black-Single-Blank-Wall-Plate/999959455 (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Legrand-Trademaster-1-Gang-Black-Single-Blank-Wall-Plate/999959455)
If something like that doesn't work for you, fabricate something suitable from thin sheet metal.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-6-in-x-18-in-Aluminum-Solid/3057643 (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-6-in-x-18-in-Aluminum-Solid/3057643)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-4-in-x-5-in-Tin-Sheet-Metal/3478157 (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-4-in-x-5-in-Tin-Sheet-Metal/3478157)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-12-in-x-18-in-Steel-Solid/3057631 (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-12-in-x-18-in-Steel-Solid/3057631)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-6-in-x-18-in-Cold-Rolled-Steel-Solid/3050439 (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-6-in-x-18-in-Cold-Rolled-Steel-Solid/3050439)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-6-in-x-18-in-22-Gauge-Aluminum-Metal-Sheet-801487/204225785 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-6-in-x-18-in-22-Gauge-Aluminum-Metal-Sheet-801487/204225785)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-12-in-x-18-in-22-Gauge-Metal-Sheet-801447/204225782 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-12-in-x-18-in-22-Gauge-Metal-Sheet-801447/204225782)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Building-Products-12-in-x-24-in-28-Gauge-Galvanized-Sheet-56020/100282523 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Building-Products-12-in-x-24-in-28-Gauge-Galvanized-Sheet-56020/100282523)
Scott
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I've built them but haven't invested much time making them great. Just used a bit of scrap sheet metal off an old appliance, some tin snips and a drill press. Cut the sheet metal to size, drill holes for the buttons, and a couple mounting holes. Then I bolted it on to the coin box. Works great and is on par with what you'd see in the wild. If I cared more about making the inside look slick, I'd put a little more effort, but for an hour or so of effort, it works great.
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So I've never made one but I have thought about it.
I would use what ever scrap sheet metal you can find.
Dril the holes for the switches and some rattle can paint if you want it to look nice..
for the most part use the cheap momentary push buttons.. you can usually get them for about 10-15 cents /ea from china.
Heres the thing.. it will eat up your inputs depends on how many service buttons you want.
if you want to cover everything with dedicated buttons.
service 1 2 3 4, service menu, test, (ya sometimes service menu and test are different buttons), volume up/down (midway games for example), tilt (i think a few games archrivels.. maybe rampage? uses it)
Im probably leaving out some like on the lotto games I think had many service buttons.
now you could cut corners a bit by having say 8 buttons that are remapped according to the game which should cover you.
A lot of people will just add it as a shortcut to the controls using a "mame" button as a shift button.
If you just wanna go for the bare minimum then say service menu and service coin will get you thru most games.
after all volume can generally be setup in the menu for games that have those.
I'd recommend a minimum 3 button setup if you go this route and remap them as needed per game.
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If you don't want it on the panel, my vote is to put a "hidden" regular old black pushbutton on the top of the cabinet above the marquee area. Keep it to the side and back a bit from the front so it can't be seen and won't interfere with the lighting. Then map your regular buttons to do whatever function you need when both are pressed. You can even control your volume this way, with an encoder which supports that feature.
Much more accessible than having to go inside a coin door.